


The Life and Times of the Beifong Twins

by Aiwainaah



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen, annoying lil bro wing, because yes lol, gay wei, i bet he'd be tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-24 00:37:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8349343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiwainaah/pseuds/Aiwainaah
Summary: just the shit these two do after the series finale





	1. A Question

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, guys! This is my first LoK fanfiction and my first work here on AO3, so I hope you enjoy it :D  
> Please tell me if there are any mistakes so I can correct them and improve my writing. Admittedly, I haven't watched The Last Airbender (horrible, I know, but I'll do it, I swear!), but I'm gonna do my best.
> 
> Enjoy! :D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wing has a burning question he wants to ask his brother. wei is not amused. he'll probably just have to deal with his annoying brother for the next two months though.

It was one calm and sunny afternoon that Wing burst into his and his brother's temporary residence in Republic City, ready to put his newest plan into action.

"Wei!" he shouted. "Wei, where are you?"

"In the kitchen, bro, you don't need to scream," came the answer.

"Why are you in the kitchen?" Wing asked, entering said room. He watched his brother throw some meat into a frying pan, looking like he knew what he was doing.

"Are you sure you're supposed to put the meat in a pan?" Wing asked, approaching the stove cautiously.

"Nope," Wei admitted, "but if it means I won't starve, I don't care."

Wing looked at his twin with confusion and noted, "There's no reason for you to starve, man."

"There _is_ when you're spending all our money on expensive noodles and little nothings for that firebender girl of yours," Wei countered, glaring at his brother. Just as the latter was opening his mouth to say something, Wei added, "And before you ask: Yes, we _do_ have a limited budget. While you've been out 'exploring the city', I decided to ask around about what plans there are for us."

Now Wing looked interested. He took a seat at the kitchen table and listened to his brother explaining the situation.

"Mom decided it would be best for us to stay in Republic City a bit longer while she cleans up in Zaofu," Wei said.

"What?" Wing exclaimed. "Why isn't she letting us come along? She'll need all the help-"

"You think I didn't try that?" Wei asked. "She said it would be best for us to stay here and 'widen our horizons', blahblah."

"For how long?"

"Two months, maybe longer." Wei grabbed a fork and turned his steak around with it. "Good thing is, she might allow us to leave the city and go visit other places."

Wing raised an eyebrow. "But only in company of a 'competent adult'?"

"Obviously." Wei turned away from the stove to look at his brother. The tiredness in his eyes and posture gave away the toll the past few weeks had taken on him. First, there had been the whole mess with Kuvira's Earth Empire (which would have been enough to rid him of his sanity by itself), and now the construction plans for Republic City were taking in most of his time. The boy always kept up a bright, strong facade, but when it was just him and his brother, he allowed it to crumble.

"But we're old enough to go by ourselves!" Wing protested.

"Tried that, too," Wei countered, turning back to his food. "Mom said - and I quote -, 'In that case, I suppose the two of you can make your own money and don't need my financial support any longer.' To which dad added, 'It will be great to get rid of two mouths to feed!'" The meat sizzled loudly. "Basically, it's Mom Rules or Street Rules and I don't know about you, but I find the former a lot more appealing."

Within a few seconds, the older twin had thrown the meat onto his plate, thrown the frying pan into the sink and was sitting in front of his brother at the table.

"You forgot the stove," Wing noted. It took merely a glare from his brother for him to get the message. He grumbled a "fine" under his breath before standing up and going to turn off the stove. When he returned to his seat, he found that Wei had already devoured half of his meal.

"Is it that good?" Wing asked jokingly.

"No, but I'll deal," Wei admitted through a mouthful of steak. He didn't even look up at his brother as he answered.

Wing gave a sigh as he decided to break the Cool Guy Stance. "You look really tired," he said, observing the dark circles under his brother's eyes. "Have you been sleeping enough lately?"

"Suppose..." Wei sloppily pushed a hand through his hair. He seemed more than just exhausted. "Not very well though."

"Nightmares?"

A weak nod confirmed Wing's suspicion, but before he could ask further, his brother had already stood up to put his plate in the sink.

"I'll wash it later..." Wing heard his twin mutter. He watched as the latter walked out of the kitchen, almost dragging his legs behind him like heavy weights of lead. Wing sat for a little longer, thinking about what had happened over the past few weeks and what was yet to come.

After maybe a minute or two, he finally stood up to exit the kitchen as well. He found Wei collapsed and tight asleep on the living room couch, curled up and breathing silently.

It looked like Wing wouldn't be able to ask his brother that burning question he had any time soon.

 

* * *

 

"Are you _sure_ it's a good idea to leave the boys here, Su? Opal is with the airbenders and Huan seems to be enjoying himself at the art academy, but don't you think Wei and Wing are a bit young to stay here alone?"

"Nonsense, Lin, they're nineteen, they can take care of themselves."

The sisters were seated in a cafe close to the new spirit portal. It offered a simply mesmerising view, which was mainly why the small shop was so adored by Republic City's citizens.

"Well, I'm just saying..." Lin muttered into her coffee. "After keeping such a close watch on them for nineteen years, won't it be a bit of a drastic change to suddenly send them out into the world on their own?"

"Oh, don't worry, they'll be fine," Su assured lightly. "I gave Wei more than enough money for the next two months. And besides, if anything goes wrong, there's always someone to call!"

"I feel like I should be telling you that," Lin grumbled. Her sister laughed heartily and patted Lin's hand gently.

"I really missed you all those years," Su said warmly before drinking the last bit of her coffee and standing up from the table. "Now come on! I wanna see my boys one last time before I leave."

"Oh, I can already see all the trouble those two will give me..." Lin grumbled darkly, but she couldn't keep a tiny smile off her face.

The two women left the small cafe and wove through the streets, walking away from the centre of Republic City. The crowds of people got denser the closer the sisters got to the neighbourhood the Beifong twins were living in for now. The efforts to rebuild the city were clearly visible. Many of the buildings that had been damaged during Kuvira's attack had been torn down completely to be rebuilt from the ground up while paying more attention to the tight webs of vines. Meanwhile, a lot of the construction projects were focused on the outskirts of the city, aiming to make space for the residents who'd lost their homes in the recent events.

It had been Wing's idea to rent an apartment instead of staying at Air Temple Island. Wei had immediately taken his brother's side and after some arguing, Suyin let the boys convince her. She helped them find an apartment in a pretty good part of town (which was a struggle in itself with all the people trying to find one themselves), then gave them two weeks to see how they found the experience and show her that they could really take care of themselves.

Lin and Suyin entered the building the twins stayed in, heading up the first five flights of stairs and stopping in front of one of the doors. Slightly out breath, Su announced, "We're here." She flashed her sister a bright smile and knocked on the door.

No answer.

The sisters looked at each other. "Maybe they didn't hear it," the younger decided, knocking again.

Again, there was no answer. Su was about to knock again, but Lin swiftly stopped her by raising her hand. She bent down and turned the doormat around.

"I thought so," the police officer muttered, picking up the key and unlocking the door with it. She looked at her sister quickly, then pushed open the door. The two entered, hands on their weapons just in case.

The apartment was silent. Lin gestured for Su to follow her as she stepped around the piles of random things that crowded the small space behind the entrance. While Su struggled not to trip over the shoes and coats on the floor, Lin was already at the living room door, pushing down the doorknob soundlessly.

"He's just asleep," Lin sighed, letting the tension in her body dissolve.

"Which one?" Su asked, stepping behind her sister and trying to look into the living room over the latter's shoulder.

"I don't know," Lin admitted, "I can't tell them apart."

Su laughed softly, then gave her sister a slight push so she could pass through the doorway. The mother walked to the big, brown couch that took in most of the small living room. Her son was facing to the wall and away from the rest of the room.

"Oh, doesn't he look simply adorable when he's asleep?" Su muttered lovingly.

"I _still_ don't know which one it is," Lin stated plainly.

"Wei." Su flashed her sister a smile before crouching down next to the couch. She suddenly noticed her son's rapid breathing and the thin sheet of sweat covering his forehead. Frowning, she reached out to him. "I think he's having a nightmare..."

Su had barely touched her son's forehead when something suddenly shot into her and launched her through the room. Nausea from the sudden movement and fall flooded her senses and she couldn't move. She heard Lin hurrying to her side immediately, tearing the restraints off her.

_Metal._

It took a moment for the dark spots that clouded Su's vision to dissipate and for her to be able to see clearly again. The first thing she saw was Lin bending the tightly wound, metal cables off her. Then she saw the boy sitting on the couch, shock clearly visible in his bright eyes.

"Mom, I'm so sorry!" Wei shouted, his voice cracking in the slightest. "I- I thought-"

"It's alright, Wei," Su interrupted him, trying to sound calming and motherly while still bound by the cables and lying on the floor. She wished Lin could just hurry up with freeing her - it was a bit hard to breathe with the restraints.

"Let me help," Wei said, crouching down next to his mother.

"I think you've already done enough," Lin grumbled with a glare at her nephew. He looked away in shame as his aunt continued unwinding the cables. She noticed his expression and dropped her work again, letting out a soft sigh.

"You know, kid," she said, "if this weren't your mom you just tied up, I'd say you did a pretty good job, especially since you were asleep two minutes ago. Now, stop looking at me like a lost puppy and go get some water."

Wei nodded and stood up to go to the kitchen, the ghost of a smile on his lips. When he returned to the living room, Lin and Su were seated on the couch.

"Thank you," his mother muttered kindly as her son poured her a glass of cold water. He merely nodded and pulled over a chair to sit down opposite of the two sisters.

"So, where's your partner in crime?" Lin asked, looking around the small, messy room.

"Wing's probably out with his girlfriend," the boy answered.

"Probably?"

Wei shrugged, explaining, "Well, I fell asleep around three or so. I don't know where-"

As if on cue, the front door was opened with a bang and a very familiar voice shouted, "I'm home!"

"Correction," Wei said, rolling his eyes, "I _do_ know where he is."

"You better be awake, Wei!" Wing shouted, stumbling into the living room, a grin on his face. "You'll never believe- Oh, Mom, Aunt Lin! What are you doing here?"

"I just came to say goodbye to you two," Su said.

"You're leaving today?" Wing asked.

"Yes, in approximately two hours," his mother said. "Your father, Baatar and I are taking the train back to Zaofu to repair any damage to the city. Wei should have told you."

"He did," the younger twin assured, "I just didn't realise that would be today."

"Well, now you know." Su flashed him a radiant smile. "If anything happens, you can always call Aunt Lin or Tenzin. Also, please don't spend all your money at once."

The boys nodded. Their mother ran through a few more things they'd have to be careful about, gave Wing some love advice, then stood up to hug her two youngest sons. The woman had tears in her eyes when she walked to the door with her sister, ready to leave.

"Be careful, you two," Suyin said, embracing her sons one last time.

"Will be, mom," Wei said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, don't you worry about us," Wing assured.

Soon, both Lin and Su were heading down the stairs again and the twins had retreated into their apartment, dropping onto the couch next to each other.

"Slept well?" Wing asked.

"Not really. I ended up shooting some cables at mom half-consciously," Wei said, ignoring the baffled look on his brother's face. "Anyway, what did you wanna say when you came?"

"What?"

"Well, that's what I'm asking you." Wei gave his an amused look. "You were shouting about something I'd never believe."

"Right, that!" Wing grinned broadly. "Aya's dog had puppies and she offered to give us one or two of them! Isn't that amazing?"

"Why is your girlfriend giving us puppies?" Wei asked puzzled.

"Well, there are, like, five of them and she said she can't take care of all of them," Wing explained.

"Well, I don't know, bro," Wei said. "If we can't take them with us back to Zaofu..."

Wing grabbed his brother by the shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes as he said, "They're tiny and fluffy and white with big brown and black spots and they make these super adorable squeaks."

Wei inhaled sharply, his eyes wide. "Why didn't you say that earlier?" he asked. "We're getting the puppies! I love your girlfriend!"

 

* * *

 

The rest of the evening mainly consisted of talking about possible names for the puppies, then listening to the transmission of a pro-bending match, and eventually the usual Fight For The Shower™.

"So, um..." Wei muttered awkwardly into the dark room when they were finally tucked into their beds. He could hear his brother shifting to face him.

"Yes?" Wing asked.

Wei tried to make out the familiar features of his twin's face in the pitch-black room. "Well, I was wondering... How do you know you love Aya?"

Wing was silent for a while. Wei could almost see the thoughtful expression in the dark.

"I don't really know, actually..." Wing finally muttered. "I suppose it's just a feeling. We get along really well and I love spending as much time as possible with her. I don't know if that answers your question."

It was silent again as Wei pondered his brother's answer. The hum of the city filled the quiet room and a tiny ray of silver moonlight poked through the blinds.

"Can I ask you something, Wei?" a whisper crossed the room.

"You just did," the older twin noted.

"I mean something weird," Wing corrected himself.

"You always ask weird things."

"Something _really_ weird!"

Wei groaned loudly. "Can you just ask already?"

"Okay." Wing took a deep breath, then bursted out the question that had been bothering him since that afternoon:

"Do you like guys?"

There was just enough light in the room for Wing to be able to make out the confused look on his brother's face.

"Are you asking whether I like half of the human population?" Wei asked. "Do you think I hate you because you're a boy or what?"

"No, no, no, you don't understand!" Wing exclaimed.

"You're right, I don't."

"I mean if you _like-like_ boys."

"What do you define as _like-liking_ someone?"

"The way I like Aya," Wing said. He didn't know what he'd expected - a direct and sincere yes? Wei blushing his face off and stuttering about how wrong he was? A definite no?

Either way, his brother didn't give him a concrete answer.

"Go to sleep," Wei said.

"What?"

"Go to sleep, Wing."

"But you didn't give me an answer!"

"That's because you're an idiot and you ask stupid questions." Wei turned away from his brother, now facing the wall. A cloud had to have covered up the moon, because the room was plunged into darkness again.

"But I need to know!" Wing exclaimed.

"Can't you just go to sleep?" Wei asked irritatedly.

Wing wanted to protest, but suddenly an image of his brother, collapsed on the couch out of exhaustion, crossed his mind and he closed his mouth again. "Fine," he muttered instead.

For just one moment, he thought he heard his brother sigh in what sounded like relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this little chapter! I love the twins, so I just had to write about them :D


	2. A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wei has a weird dream. There's a gathering on Air Temple Island. Wing spies on his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope the title isn't too cheesy...

_"I'm gonna scream," Huan announced, standing up from his seat on the floor of the wooden cage._

_"Why?" Wing asked._

_"I need to let out my frustration," the older explained. "Usually, I can do that through art, but now..."_

_"Alright, go for it," Wei said, leaning his head back against the cage. Huan nodded and flipped his hair back over his shoulder before taking a deep breath._

_He let out a piercing scream that cut through skin and bones. Then everyone remained silent as they listened to the clacking of footsteps in the corridors. A soldier appeared in the Beifongs' line of view._

_"What's wrong?" the man asked loudly, looking up at the family of metalbenders._

_"Oh, don't worry!" Huan shouted. "I'm just letting out my frustration!"_

_"Not that he'd worry about us anyway," Wei noted._

_"Don't try anything!" the guard yelled. "There's no way for you to get out!"_

_"Dude, we're Beifongs!" Wing shouted. "If you give us enough time, we'll find out how to bend wood!"_

_"Bet you we could," Wei laughed._

_"Without a doubt," his twin said._

_It could have been a good dream. It could have, had it not been for the sudden movement of the wood that made up the cage. It creaked and glowed an eerie green as it spun around, closing the holes in the small prison. The cage was getting smaller and hotter by the second. Suddenly, something liquid started dripping from above._

_Wei realised it had to be mercury, but he couldn't control it, it didn't listen to him._

_The poisonous metal continued filling up the tightening cage. Wei saw his brothers and parents disappear under its shiny surface. He tried to move but he couldn't, he was paralysed. The liquid reached his neck. The wood was moving and tightening the space inside the cage. The air seemed to get pushed out of his lungs by the pressure of the metal. He could barely breathe. There was mercury in his ears, on his face, in his mouth-_

Wei found himself sitting up in his bed, breathing heavily and staring into the darkness. He was drenched in sweat and shivering at the same time.

He let out a shaky breath and pulled his knees to his chest as he realised that he'd had another one of _those_ dreams. It took the boy a moment to catch his breath and bring himself to stand up. His feet touched the cold floorboards quietly, giving him a sense of stability. He stood up shakily and walked out of the bedroom, a hand always holding onto a wall or a chair - anything he could lean against. The air in the hallway was cold and soothing. Wei walked to the bathroom and leaned against the cold tiles of the wall for a moment. Why was this always happening? What had he done to deserve getting plagued by all those strange nightmares?

He didn't dare look in the mirror - the dark lines on his exhausted face would have been too much to take, even without a light to throw eerie shadows under his dull eyes. Instead, he took off his shirt and walked straight into the shower.

The ice cold water was calming. There was a certain feeling of continuity to having it run down his head, his back, his arms. It made him feel just a little bit more grounded. Just a little bit more alive.

Wei didn't know how long he stood under the cold stream and the memory of what he did afterwards was foggy. In the end, he found himself walking out of the apartment wearing only a light tunic. His feet touched the concrete stairs lightly, carrying him down to the exit. He barely registered the small, sharp stones on the streets cutting into his skin. It was as if his body was acting on its own, completely isolated from the mind it needed to heal.

A strong wind tousled the boy's wet hair and blew through his thin tunic. It gave him strength, kept him walking down the dark streets.

Wei let out a sigh of relief when his feet touched the earth in the small park. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, covering up the moon and many stars, but its presence above him made the world feel more whole.

He breathed out again and sat down in the grass, leaning back against a tree. He stared at the paths and plants in front of him as he dug his heels and fingers into the earth. Another deep breath. A look up at the stars. Then he closed his eyes and allowed himself to _see_. He could feel the presence of every single thing in his proximity - from the trees and the benches down to the shortest blades of grass. The Satomobiles rattling across the streets and the people pacing in their homes late at night.

Finally, his heartbeat slowed down to calm pace as he exhaled and relaxed against the rough bark of the tree, letting the sensations of the world wash over him.

 

* * *

 

 

Wei returned to the apartment at the crack of dawn. He knew his brother was awake - Wing always woke up early to make some tea and get ready for the day.

The boy felt strangely disconnected when his bare feet touched the wooden floorboards. It was strange not to be able to sense the world as accurately as before.

"Wei! Where were you?" Wing's voice vibrated with worry. His footsteps were light as he ran to meet his brother at the door. "Why are you barefoot?"

"I was in that park two streets away," Wei muttered, not bothering to answer the second question.

"Like this?" Wing exclaimed.

"Yeah..." Wei squeezed past his brother to go into the bedroom.

"Why barefoot?" Wing asked, following the older into the room. Wei just shrugged and opened the closet to look for a new set of clothes.

"When do we have to be at Air Temple Island?" the older asked. He pretended not to notice his brother's You-Didn't-Answer-My-Question look as he changed. "And where's my armlet?"

"We should leave in half an hour," Wing said, bending down to pick up the arm ring from the floor and throwing it at his brother. "Opal said she wants us there extra early."

Wei groaned. Still, precisely half an hour later, he and Wing were exiting the apartment to go visit their sister. The trip through the city was stressing enough with the crowds of people and countless Satomobile roaming the streets. Later on the ferry to the famous island, Wei got more than just a bit seasick and almost threw up the toast he'd had for breakfast earlier. One of the crew members muttered something about earthbenders being such land rats, which caused Wing to laugh loudly but didn't help diminish Wei's urge to jump overboard.

Finally, about fifteen agonising, nauseating minutes later, they arrived at Air Temple Island. When Opal came to greet her younger brothers, she found Wei sprawled out on the ground and Wing laughing his ass off. Just another normal day with the Beifongs.

"Still not used to the ferry ride?" Opal asked with a smile.

"Never," Wei declared, kissing the ground demonstratively. "Water's not really my thing."

"I figured," his sister laughed. "Well, if you're feeling better now, why don't you come along into the temple? Pema made cookies."

"Cookies!" Wing gasped excitedly. The next second, he was already running off to the temple.

Wei pushed himself up on his elbows and asked, "The chocolate chip ones?"

"Yup."

He got to his feet immediately and followed his brother inside. Opal grinned as she formed an air scooter, hopped onto it and followed the twins inside. The three burst into the living room loudly, interrupting Huan as he explained the meaning of his newest work of art to some very confused looking airbenders.

"See, it's like a scream- Oh, you guys are here." He turned to face his younger siblings. Wing attacked a plate of cookies, Wei was full of dirt, and Opal was suddenly sitting on the metal sculpture. Huan shook his head desperately before raising his voice to speak again. "Why don't _you_ tell me what this represents?"

Wing looked away from his plate of cookies, which resulted in it being stolen by Wei. "Do you want an _honest_ opinion or an excessive interpretation?"

Huan sighed. "Honest opinion."

"It wooksh wike a wion-giwaf," Wei said through a mouthful of cookies.

Huan looked at the younger twin for a translation.

"He says it looks like a lion-giraffe," Wing explained. He slapped Wei's shoulder and gave him a half-serious lecture about not speaking with his mouth full, before trying to wrestle the plate of cookies out of his brother's arms.

"Why didn't mom stop at Opal..." Huan muttered under his breath. Then he turned around and marched out of the living room, flicking his hair over his shoulder characteristically before slamming the door behind him.

Not long after Huan stormed out, Meelo stormed in, his mouth pulled into a wide grin and his grey eyes wide with joy as he shouted excitedly, "Wei and Wing are here! The Double Double-U's are here!"

"Oh no," Wei muttered, "you know what this means..."

"Come here and fight the Great Overlord Meelo!" the young airbender yelled, spotting the twins and pointing one of his small fingers at them. "I will take you down!"

"No, Lord Meelo!" Wing shouted dramatically. "Please have mercy on us! We did not mean to anger you!"

"But you have and now you must perish!" Meelo countered, never breaking his stance.

"Brother, we must run!" Wei exclaimed. He stood up quickly, grabbed Wing by the wrist and pulled him out of the living room. The two ran into the garden behind the temple, the tiny airbender right on their tracks. Soon, they were in a "fight" with the little devil, trying their best not to harm him while making it look like they were actually attacking him. Every now and then, one of the twins would catch Meelo with their cables, so they could catch their breaths for a moment, then pretend to trip so the boy could roam free again. It was exhausting but fun, and had it not been for Ikki's sudden appearance and her convincing her brother to let Wing and Wei be, the two would have continued humouring Meelo with the "fight".

"Come on, you two!" Ikki shouted, taking both twins by the hand and pulling them along. "I set up a tea party with the baby bison!"

Wing squealed in delight as Wei stumbled after the young airbender and his brother. In no time, all three were seated at a table together with two baby air bisons, one of which had decided to relentlessly lick Wei's face. The earthbender didn't seem too happy about it.

Between loud air bison sounds and Ikki's continuous chatter, the appearance of two newcomers in the garden went unnoticed.

"Hello, everyone!" a familiar voice shouted cheerfully. Wei's gaze snapped up to look at the source instantly.

"Bolin! Mako!" Ikki shouted, jumping up from her seat to greet the two brothers. "Good you're here, the tea party is set up!"

She swiftly directed the boys towards the table, telling them to sit anywhere. Mako squeezed in between Wing and Ikki after looking at the bison a bit disgusted. Bolin walked around the small table and tapped Wei on the shoulder.

"May I sit here?" the older asked, pointing at the narrow space next to Wei.

"Yeah, s-sure," the latter stuttered. He moved more into the baby bison next to him as Bolin sat down next to him. Wei hoped he was just imagining how warm his face felt.

"Thanks," Bolin said with a friendly smile that caused Wei's stomach to spin around and his heart to hammer rapidly against his rib cage.

"So... how have you been?" Bolin asked, pouring himself some tea.

"Um, well, y'know..." Wei muttered. He didn't notice himself fumbling with the pendant on his necklace. "Busy with the reconstruction work."

"Ah, yeah." Bolin stirred some sugar around in his tea. "It's a real pity that we're on different sites. It would be fun to work with you."

The electric green in Wei's eyes sparkled. "You think?"

"Definitely!" Another one of those stomach twirling smiles graced Bolin's lips. "It's always cool to have someone familiar around."

Had Wei known that Wing was listening in on the conversation, he would have shot a rock at his brother, then walked away with some simple excuse. But he didn't know, which meant Wing was given the perfect opportunity to spy on his twin.

The youngest Beifong was mentally taking notes on the conversation. Bolin was being his normal, friendly, chatty self, holding a nice conversation with a fellow human. Meanwhile, Wei was blushing a red worthy of being on the Fire Nation's flag and was speaking in nervous stutters.

 _'If this isn't weird,'_ Wing thought, squinting at his brother suspiciously, _'then nothing is.'_

Wing ended up spying on his brother all day long. He found he should apply for becoming a detective with all the attention he was paying to the tiniest details. Wei laughed more around Bolin (even if the jokes weren't funny), he was scratching the back of his neck, setting his hair right, blinking too often, and just generally being unusual. Wing could only conclude one thing from his observations and it was the answer to his question from the previous night.

"Hey." Somebody sat down next to him on the thick tree branch. "You alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm cool." Wing gave Opal a smile. "How about you?"

"Well, I just finished doing all my chores and I was looking forward to spending some time with everyone," the girl said, swinging around with her legs in the warm breeze. "But when I got outside, I saw the most peculiar thing."

She paused, looking at Wing first and then down at Wei and Bolin. "The famous Beifong twins, separated - a strange and terrifying concept, don't you think?"

Her olive-green eyes mirrored the expectant tone in her words. She knew her brothers well enough to tell that this was nowhere near their normal behaviour.

"So," Opal said after sitting with her brother in silence for a few moments, "are you gonna tell me what's up?"

Wing sighed and thought about what he could say for a second. He really hoped he wasn't giving out too much information when he explained, "I asked Wei a pretty strange and personal question yesterday and he didn't answer and now I'm trying to find out myself."

Opal gave him a weird look. "That's it?"

"I suppose..." There was a beat of silence before Win added, "He's also pretty stressed right now and I feel horrible for spying on him, but I'm really, really curious."

"Alright." His sister nodded. Her gaze wandered to the yellow, fallen leaves in the garden. "I'm not getting anything else out of you, am I?"

"Not right now. Maybe another time." Wing grinned at Opal, strangely happy to have been able to share some of his worry with her. She smiled back and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"I'm sure Wei will answer your question soon," she said. "Maybe he needs some time to figure it out himself. Be patient."

Wing nodded. "You're probably right. What would I do without a wise airbender sister like you?"

"I don't even want to think about it," Opal laughed. Her brother joined in, finally pushing Wei and Bolin to the back of his mind. He didn't need to spy any longer - he had his answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the reads and kudos! You really can't imagine how I felt when I saw the email with "You've got kudos!" :D
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter as much as the first one. See you around!


	3. Paranoia and Puppies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wing melts into a puddle around his girlfriend and her puppies. meanwhile, wei isn't having quite as much fun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being inactive for so long :/  
> With all the schoolwork (homework, exams, presentations...) and new fandoms all the time, this fanfic sort of faded into the background for me... I'm back into it right now though, so I'll try to continue it as well as I can :)

“Hey, how was your day?”

Aya’s smile was as brilliant as ever, her dark eyes bearing their usual, lively glint as she sat down next to Wing. The restaurant’s lights caught in the many, tiny glass bubbles on the big hairclip that held her ebony hair out of her face, making the artificial butterfly sparkle as if it were made of stars.

“It was nice,” Wing said, his smile gentle and his eyes locked with Aya’s. “The kids had me running around all day long, but we got some mail from Korra and Asami, which was great.”

“How are they?” Aya asked, excited at the mention of the two heroes.

“They said they’re fine, the spirit world is cool,” Wing answered. “Anyway, it was nice – but it would have been even nicer if you had been there as well.”

“Oh, don’t be so cheesy!” Aya laughed. There was a rosy blush across her cheeks, which only fired on Wing’s excitement at seeing the girl.

Before he could change his mind, he’d taken her hand in his and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Aya’s laughter seized and she stared at him with big eyes, her face turning hotter.

“Seriously,” Wing muttered, “you’re amazing.”

His heart fluttered at the sight of Aya’s soft smile. The way her lips curled up gently, the way her dark hair framed her face in rich waves…

“You too.” Her breath brushed against his skin and her eyelids fluttered close as she came closer to Wing. Her lips were just a warm pressure against his, her hair soft between his fingers-

Somebody cleared their throat, causing the two to jump apart swiftly.

“Excuse me,” the waiter said, eyeing them critically. “Have you decided on something?”

Aya and Wing shared an amused look, both forcing grins off their faces as they ordered their food. Only when the waiter walked out of earshot did they allow themselves to start laughing.

 

* * *

 

 

The wind had picked up quite a bit since the morning and dark clouds had gathered across the sky – not that it bothered Wei. In fact, he was glad the gloomy weather was keeping most people out of the park. That meant he could rest against that tree again and revel in using his hidden sense. He would see how far his ability stretched; how much he could pick up with his eyes closed and body connected to the cold earth.

The bark of the tree was rough against Wei’s back. The hard edges poked through his tunic as he sat down. The yellowing leaves rustled in the wind, barely hanging onto the tree’s tall branches far above the boy’s head.

The shapes of everything in the park started to materialise in his mind as soon as his fingers touched the cold ground. A small dog was skipping far ahead of his owner along on one of the dirt paths. A few children – maybe four or five – were playing Catch, their feet thrumming against the ground rapidly and their laughter faintly registering in Wei’s ears.

With the park as empty as it was, it was easy to keep track of everyone going in and out of it. Parents came to get their children, and the dog owner left as soon after the wind started getting frosty in a way that cut through to one’s bones.

It took more will power than Wei would have wanted to admit to finally raise his hands out of the soothing earth and open his eyes after what felt like way too little time to revel in the sensation of _feeling_ his surroundings. The world around him seemed to fade out a little bit when his fingers left the ground and the connection broke off, its shapes now much darker and less distinguishable than before. Moonlight poked through some breaks in the thick curtain of clouds and Wei was irritably aware of how much less he could see with his eyes than with his other sense.

Nevertheless, it was late and Wing was probably already back at the apartment, which meant that Wei couldn’t allow himself to arrive late and worry his brother. He wasn’t up for another round of prickly questions…

The boy pushed himself up and brushed the grass off his clothes. He was about to start walking toward the nearest path when a rustle somewhere to his left caught his attention.

Wei turned to look in the direction of the sound, but he couldn’t make out anything in the saturated darkness of the night. He wanted to ignore the thought and leave, but his paranoia got the best of him.

Despite knowing that he couldn’t have missed anyone coming near him after what were probably several hours of studying every detail of the park, Wei crouched down and touched the earth, his eyes closed.

_Nothing._

He sighed softly. “I’m really getting too paranoid…”

Standing up again slowly, an old and inexplicable ache in his back, Wei wiped a thin, cold film of sweat away from his forehead. He really needed to get himself together…

 

* * *

 

 

“What did your brother say about the puppies?”

“He seemed pretty excited about the idea.”

Wing smiled at Aya. It was quite a nice moment, her hand in his, the warm lights of the city spilling all across the chic street and shedding a lively glow on the buildings around them. The two didn’t talk much, preferring to enjoy their time together in relative silence. Every now and then, Aya would point out a small bakery, a sweets store or a toy shop. Wing tried to remember as many as possible, the image of a cute future date in the back of his mind.

“And this is my house,” Aya said, stopping in front of one of the smaller apartment buildings. She looked up at a very confused Wing with a smile on her face. “If you want to see it, of course. I’d like to show you the puppies.”

Wing stared at her in stunned silence for a few seconds, not sure how to respond. He hadn’t really counted on an invitation into Aya’s house, much less knowing that she lived with her parents.

“Wing?” the girl asked. “If you want to, we can also go somewhere else.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Wing assured quickly. Then, hoping he didn’t sound desperate, he added, “I want to see the puppies.”

“Awesome.” Aya’s smile was as brilliant as ever. She held onto Wing’s hand a bit tighter and pulled him into the apartment building with her.

Up three flights of stairs and down a bright corridor and they were standing in front of the entrance to the apartment. Within the flash of a second, Aya had unlocked the door and was walking inside. Wing was left standing outside on the doormat, unsure if he should really enter.

“Come on in, you awkward dork,” his girlfriend shouted, flashing him a mischievous grin as she swiftly pulled her shoes off. “Or do you want to spend the whole evening outside my door?”

“I could also just go home,” Wing replied, stepping through the doorway.

“You wouldn’t!” Aya exclaimed in mocked shock.

“I would,” Wing insisted playfully. “What if Wei gets worried and calls the police? Or worse – my aunt! I don’t want to be in the spotlight of that show.”

The girl laughed and gave him a smile that caused his heart to flutter.

“Aya, honey, did you bring a friend home?” a voice rang to the entrance. Barely a second later, a middle-aged woman appeared in the small corridor. She wore red robes that didn’t quite hide the wider diameter of her waist. Curiosity glinted in her eyes.

“Oh, sweetheart!” the woman exclaimed. “I haven’t even cleaned up! The living room is a mess!”

“Mom, don’t worry about it,” Aya replied, waving off the woman’s concerns. The girl turned her head just enough to shoot Wing a smile.

“Wing, this is my mom,” she said cheerfully. “Mom, this is Wing.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman’s smile was almost as brilliant as her daughter’s. “Aya has told me quite a lot about you. Only good things of course.”

Wing bowed respectfully, a grin on his lips. “It is an honour to meet you, Mrs-“

“Oh, please,” Aya’s mother interrupted the boy gently, “call me Jiso. There is no need for such formalities.”

Wing nodded, standing up straight again. He managed to flash his girlfriend a quick grin before she grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him into the apartment.

“Let’s go see the puppies!” she shouted happily, pulling him into the living room and leading him to a corner full of multicoloured fur and overall fluffiness. Wing was already one hundred percent certain that his brother would adore the tiny rays of sunshine that would soon settle into their own apartment.

Aya crouched down in front of the dogs – six pups and their mother – in the corner of the living room. Wing sat down next to her, making sure to keep an almost respectful distance from the calm animals. He didn’t want to seem like an intruder.

“This one is Mo,” Aya said, carefully picking up one of the puppies and placing it into her boyfriend’s lap. “She’s named after a poet my parents and I like a lot. I could borrow you a collection of their poems if you want to.”

She looked at him with her golden eyes and he smiled at her before turning to face the small dog in his lap, his answer to the question a simple “Sure.”

The puppy had curly fur that was mostly white. A few black and brown spots flecked its round ears and paws. It looked quite adorable stumbling around sleepily between Wing’s legs, and the boy couldn’t help but imagine the joy the tiny creature would bring his brother.

Surely, a cute puppy like this would cure any worries and close all wounds.

 

* * *

 

 

By now, Wei was absolutely certain that someone was following him. He’d hear the rustle, the footsteps, the breathing. But every time he turned around, there was no one in sight. He’d even taken off his shoes and was navigating more by the sense in his feet than by sight.

But his efforts were in vain.

“Boy, put on your shoes!” a voice startled Wei out of his thoughts. He froze on spot and tore his eyes open to look at an old lady who was glaring as if she’d caught him stealing a cookie jar from the kitchen.

“You shouldn’t walk around barefoot,” she continued her little lecture. “You might cut your feet on a glass shard lying around on the street!”

Wei’s lips curled into a kind smile. The old lady meant well.

“I’m actually quite comfortable walking around like this,” he admitted. “It makes me feel more… _grounded_.”

The lady grimaced, but didn’t comment any further.

“I just wanted to warn you beforehand,” she said. Her voice was surprisingly strong, despite her age and the slight tremble it brought into her words. “You may feel better now, but be careful not to get yourself hurt.”

“Thank you. I will.” Wei offered her another sincere smile. “Have a nice day.”

“Evening,” the lady corrected, already continuing to walk down the street in the direction she had been going in before. “And you too.”

And just like that, she was gone again. Wei was sure that she couldn’t have been the one he was getting so paranoid about – she had been coming from the opposite direction – but at least he felt a bit better and more secure now. He couldn’t quite shake the feeling of being followed, but it was less prominent than before and he was only another two minutes away from the apartment.

There wasn’t too much that could go wrong in five minutes. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! I know there's not much going on quite yet, but I'm planning to dip my favourite set of twins into the action soon - whatever that action may be and wherever the plot may lead, haha  
> I'd like to dedicate a special thank you to one of my former classmates whose guts I used to hate but who is actually pretty cool now and surprisingly excited about how this story will continue, as well as to weiwing-beifong on tumblr (https://weiwing-beifong.tumblr.com/) who has been incredibly supportive of this ff over the short week they've known it.  
> Hugs and kisses to everyone! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you stay tuned for the next chapter(s). Feedback is always appreciated :)


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